This invention relates to the field of animal training devices, and in particular to that area which includes devices to train dogs to avoid certain objects or areas. Thus dog training devices in accordance with the instant invention can be used to teach a dog to avoid certain areas, rooms, or pieces of furniture. It also can be used to teach a dog to stay out of trash or away from other objectionable objects.
Prior training devices such as shown by the Kanta patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,056 have been used to teach a dog to avoid strange foods. Such training is achieved by placing food in a spring like trap. The dog is thus subject to pain when he attempts to retrieve the food. This type of training device may now be considered inhumane. The spring loaded loop is intended to cause discomfort and pain and the exploding cap, used to startle the dog, would be a shock to the dog's heightened hearing ability. Also the dog that undergoes the punishment of the device still gets the food as a reward. This simultaneous reward and punishment can be contradictory and confusing to the animal. This disclosed device includes a spike for sticking it to the ground. Also, there is no provision for adjusting the device to match the size of the dog being trained.
The training device of Breland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,393, in contrast uses a noise as positive feedback for training. The noise is associated with a food reward and also is directly connected to the owner or trainer. Breland does not discuss training to discourage inappropriate behavior.
In contrast, the patent to Curtis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,457 teaches the use of noise to train a misbehaving dog. This method of training is similar to the age old practice of throwing a shoe at the animal when it misbehaves. Most importantly, the operator needs to be present and needs to catch the dog in the act. The dog will soon realize that the operator or trainer is responsible for the noise, and thus will associate the trainer with the punishment. Furthermore, the device is not one that can be easily carried, so the operator may lack time to locate the noisemaker when the dog is participating in the objectionable behavior. If the noise is not produced when the dog is involved in the inappropriate activity, the dog will not learn to associate the noise with his improper activity.
It is known in dog training literature that a set mousetrap covered with newspapers can be used to scare and punish a dog that approaches and disturbs a forbidden object or area. Such a "trap" can be dangerous to both the operator and the dog as well as those unaware of it including children. The newspaper can visually cover the temptation thus making the dog less likely to learn what to avoid. Generally, dogs dislike stepping on a single sheet of newspaper if it is placed on a soft surface like a chair or a carpet, thus the paper (and likely the set trap hidden beneath the paper) will be avoided and the dog will not learn from the set trap. Also the owner may forget the exact location of the trap and injure himself while trying to move or step over the hidden set trap. Conversely, the wind or the like might shift the newspaper and thus expose the unshielded trap to the dog.